Writters of the world, unite! Heh, welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the Fanfics Discussion Thread.

In here ficwritters may discuss about their ideas for fanfictions, talk about their characters and, why not, debate over their own stories. Let's share our new and original ideas and sources of inspiration.

Ta-ta!

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Sun Jun 11, 2006 6:16 am

Orange_Flaaffy

Pokemon Trainer

Joined: Fri Jun 09, 2006 12:11 pmPosts: 48

I feel as though it is nessary to do the first post dance .
Anyhow, thank you so much for making this topic!
It is much needed and I think, there is nothing writers love talking about more than their own stories.

Topic: Are titles easy or hard for you to come up with?

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Sun Jun 11, 2006 8:36 am

Banov

Dragon Tamer

Joined: Tue Jun 06, 2006 8:14 pmPosts: 149Location: PA, USA

Depends on the story, really. For TFS, the title practically came hand in hand with the plot and required almost no thought whatsoever. Othwerwise, I tend to have trouble coming up with titles. It can be hard...

Sun Jun 11, 2006 8:39 am

Orange_Flaaffy

Pokemon Trainer

Joined: Fri Jun 09, 2006 12:11 pmPosts: 48

For me, titles don't often come with the story, but after I have a better idea of the plot the title just pops right up and says 'here I am!' Often, part of what makes the title good for the story does not come to me untill later and then everything clinks together and I understand why my mind picked that title. Fable is one such case of this...

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Sun Jun 11, 2006 8:48 am

Banov

Dragon Tamer

Joined: Tue Jun 06, 2006 8:14 pmPosts: 149Location: PA, USA

I always thought a cool idea was make up a cool title and write a story based on the title.

Sun Jun 11, 2006 9:44 am

Galar

Gym Leader

Joined: Thu Feb 17, 2005 11:04 amPosts: 1320Location: Sky Tower

I usually always think about the plot before coming up with the title. If I'm working on something that isn't really a story, just a random idea that I'd eventually develop in fanarts or short fictions, I try to make its title a single original word. For example, if I imagine a story about people who can turn into bears, instead of making it "The Bear-Transforming People", or something to that extent, I try to look up for universal words and choose the best of them. Example, look for the word "bear" in a different language and fuse it with the word "man" or "human" in, let's say, latin, and I have the bear-transforming people.

In a fanfiction or random story, I try to make the title very representative but not specific for a single event. The title is obvious and usually short. Example, if I want to make a fiction about uh...how Galar became a gym leader, instead of "How Galar Became a Gym Leader" or "The Story of Galar and her Pok

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Tue Jun 13, 2006 10:47 am

Orange_Flaaffy

Pokemon Trainer

Joined: Fri Jun 09, 2006 12:11 pmPosts: 48

For some reason I hate one word titles, they always come across to me as sort of looking down on the reader in an artisy way, most of all the types that use uncommon words that have something to do with the theme but make no sense if you are trying to get an idea of the plot or sort of story it is...

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Tue Jun 13, 2006 11:19 am

Banov

Dragon Tamer

Joined: Tue Jun 06, 2006 8:14 pmPosts: 149Location: PA, USA

That's on odd way to look at it.

*LET'S CHANGE TOPICS!*

How do you feel about an ending where the hero is sacrificed/killed for the sake of something he wanted to save?

Wed Jun 14, 2006 9:03 am

Orange_Flaaffy

Pokemon Trainer

Joined: Fri Jun 09, 2006 12:11 pmPosts: 48

Well, you run a thin line. On the one hand it could be seen as very epic of written well, and I mean *very* well. This sort of ending is not something you don't have to work hard on becuase it 'fixes' itself with death. You really have to make sure it does not come off as too drama filled.
On the other hand, if you've done a good job at the growth of your characters you readers may see it as a cop out of making a 'real' ending not matter how well it is written.

Two cases that come to mind are the ending of the Animorphs book series and the death of Spock in the Star Trek movies...

So, really, I don't think that type of an ending is the best idea...

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Wed Jun 14, 2006 12:10 pm

2x4b

Pokemon Master

Joined: Sun Apr 10, 2005 9:55 amPosts: 1456Location: Stafford, UK

I try to stay away from such endings, they just seem to readers that you can't be bothered to make a 'real' ending. I think they're too cliche to be honest, just goes hand in hand with the "Pokemon Journey" Type stories, hero ends up sacrificing his league title to save the world...

Wed Jun 14, 2006 12:46 pm

Galar

Gym Leader

Joined: Thu Feb 17, 2005 11:04 amPosts: 1320Location: Sky Tower

I usually love my main characters, so it'd be kinda hard to let them die in the end of the story, even if it's for something very honourable and just. Unless I have a LOLOLOL NECROMANCE ABILITY, which is actually very annoying, I don't get rid of my heroes.

Usually, my heroes are ordinary characters (not one of a kind or super-mega-ultra rare, like the marvel supers or somethin') which happened to be the protagonists of my story. I don't think they'd give up on their lives for a honourable reason, it's just not fitable. That might even happen in real life, but it's absolutely rare, and my protagonists are plain too ordinary for such sacrifice.

I keep thinkin': "oh, my God, now I can't bring him/her back for a possible sequel!", heh.

I honestly don't like that kind of ending. Sacrificing your life for something bigger usually turns to be a failure attempt, at least, in the real world. You happen to be displayed in the World's History as a big hero, but that's it. Of course, fictions might have a different turn-out, but as 2x4b already said, they're too clich

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Wed Jun 14, 2006 1:04 pm

daveshan

Pokemon Master

Joined: Thu Nov 03, 2005 2:23 pmPosts: 1959Location: Va

What about fanfics that deal with alternate timelines where something happens in the past and that causes the whole world to flip on its side? Would you as the author have to justify why every character that takes a different path took it or could you get away with simply saying, "Jane Doe never died giving birth to James Doe, because I say she didn't."?

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Fri Jun 16, 2006 5:28 pm

Orange_Flaaffy

Pokemon Trainer

Joined: Fri Jun 09, 2006 12:11 pmPosts: 48

You would have to write in detail why everything happened the way it did, but in story form, not in a big summary beganing or such.
The whole story would basicly be the main character trying to come to grips with things I think...

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Fri Jun 16, 2006 7:45 pm

daveshan

Pokemon Master

Joined: Thu Nov 03, 2005 2:23 pmPosts: 1959Location: Va

I think I misstated my question.

Let's say you wanted to create an alternate version of the manga's story? Would you have to explain why every character that Red comes accross has a different life, personality, or pokemon (for gym leaders) or could you just explain why the world is different and then say, 'Lt. Surge uses fighting types because I said he does.'?"

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Fri Jun 16, 2006 8:14 pm

Banov

Dragon Tamer

Joined: Tue Jun 06, 2006 8:14 pmPosts: 149Location: PA, USA

If it's an alternate dimension you're writing about, and ypou're writing about it seriously, then to say something like that would be to break the fourth wall and speak to the readers. You'd want to leave it as-is without any real explanation. However, if you add a backstory as to why he decided ot pick fighting types in this dimension as opposed to the other- that would be very good.

Daveshn, aren't YOU writing a fanficiton as well?

Sat Jun 17, 2006 11:04 am

daveshan

Pokemon Master

Joined: Thu Nov 03, 2005 2:23 pmPosts: 1959Location: Va

Well, there's the one I'm working on now, but I haven't posted any of it yet. I want to get a bunch of chapters done so I can get all the details of my story straight and not have my whole fic go to hell because of a mistake I made in ch. 2.

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Sat Jun 17, 2006 11:07 am

Banov

Dragon Tamer

Joined: Tue Jun 06, 2006 8:14 pmPosts: 149Location: PA, USA

Yeah. Wait, I thought you were writing the entire story before posting it up? You've been working on it for a while, haven't you?

Sat Jun 17, 2006 11:09 am

daveshan

Pokemon Master

Joined: Thu Nov 03, 2005 2:23 pmPosts: 1959Location: Va

Well, between college, transfering to William and Mary, karate, social life, getting ready to study abroad, my internship, and figuring out just what the heck my muse wants me to write I really have learned to appreciate fanfic authors who can keep a regular update schedule.

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Sat Jun 17, 2006 4:30 pm

Banov

Dragon Tamer

Joined: Tue Jun 06, 2006 8:14 pmPosts: 149Location: PA, USA

Amen to that. So, do you even have a plot in mind yet on your story?!

Sat Jun 17, 2006 5:47 pm

daveshan

Pokemon Master

Joined: Thu Nov 03, 2005 2:23 pmPosts: 1959Location: Va

Oh yeah, it's written out in my head save a few details, its putting it on paper that's time consuming and hard.

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Sat Jun 17, 2006 8:23 pm

Orange_Flaaffy

Pokemon Trainer

Joined: Fri Jun 09, 2006 12:11 pmPosts: 48

I only write beganings on paper, everything else I type and speak onto the computer...

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Sat Jun 17, 2006 8:35 pm

Banov

Dragon Tamer

Joined: Tue Jun 06, 2006 8:14 pmPosts: 149Location: PA, USA

daveshan wrote:

Oh yeah, it's written out in my head save a few details, its putting it on paper that's time consuming and hard.

Really? That's what comes easiest to me. I'm always considering what can improve my plot... For chapter four of TFS, there were like 2 almost complete revisions until I nailed down a story I was confident with.

Sat Jun 17, 2006 9:35 pm

daveshan

Pokemon Master

Joined: Thu Nov 03, 2005 2:23 pmPosts: 1959Location: Va

Well, if you want, I can PM you the first chapter so you can get an idea of what my story is like. Then you may see why putting it down on paper is tricky.

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Tue Jun 20, 2006 3:18 pm

Banov

Dragon Tamer

Joined: Tue Jun 06, 2006 8:14 pmPosts: 149Location: PA, USA

Sure!! But even if it weren't for professional reasons I'd be excited to get a sneak preview!

Gimme gimme gimme!

Please?

Wed Jun 21, 2006 8:53 am

Orange_Flaaffy

Pokemon Trainer

Joined: Fri Jun 09, 2006 12:11 pmPosts: 48

Every story is a bit hard to get from your mind to the page, that's just how it is with writing. Sometimes, even if the words come easy to you they do not match the picture you have in your mind...

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